New Tattersalls July Sale Record As Sister To Calyx Stars At 550k

[Wandering Eyes]

Records were broken on day two of the Tattersalls July Sale where a number of well-bred Juddmonte fillies dominated at the top end of the market, headed by Orchid Bouquet (Kingman), an unraced sister to Calyx, who at 550,000gns became the most expensive horse ever sold at this sale. 

Grant Pritchard-Gordon of Badgers Bloodstock, who held the position of racing manager at Juddmonte for 17 years from 1982, signed the docket for the record-breaker on behalf of an unnamed client. 

He said, “It's just the Juddmonte family – that's the whole attraction. She's [been bought] for a good client who I've bought a lot of Juddmonte families for. This person has been very keen on Juddmonte families and we both agree there.”

He added, “She'll stay in Europe. She's a filly who's had sore shins throughout her life. Maybe they'll try her, but the paddock value is what's important. The blood is what's important. Juddmonte families always have a premium. There's so much happening around these families. I know this pedigree going back to the fifth dam, it's just a fabulous family that's very much alive. Some of those families from my time have disappeared completely but this one doesn't give any indication of dying out.”

The Juddmonte consignment cleared just over 2 million gns and Tom Goff landed back-to-back lots [569 and 570] from the draft for a combined 410,000gns whilst he was standing alongside Paul Shanahan in the gangway. Fleeting Ember, an unraced Frankel sister to Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes winner Threat (Footstepsinthesand), sold to the Blandford Bloodstock agent for 300,000gns while the following lot, the unraced Kingman filly Porto Verne, made 100,000gns. Asked about the plans for the fillies after the sale, Shanahan joked, “I am just thrilled to be associated with Tom Goff!”

Meanwhile, Goff was in a similarly playful humour, when joking about the anonymity, or lack thereof, to the online underbidder on Fleeting Ember.

Goff laughed, “It was a very aggressive online bidder – I wonder who that was?! It is the most obvious online bidder in world bloodstock.”

He added, “Lovely filly by Frankel. I saw her down at the bottom and thought she was just an absolute smasher. Lovely Juddmonte and Niarchos families in the pedigree. The next one was incredibly good value. But look, with the Frankel filly, she was going to be a certain value until two bidders came together.”

Turnover climbed a massive 62% to 7,775,000gns on a day when the average was up 60% to 40,285gns and the median by 67% to 20,000gns. The clearance rate stood at 91%, down just 1% on last year.

Talking points

• Ace Stud, the latest entity that Yulong boss Yuesheng Zhang is signing under, spent 645,000gns on three mares – headed by 375,000gns purchase Regal Agenda. The daughter of Pinatubo failed to win in five starts for Karl Burke but hails from the family of Dubawi and is a half-sister to Royal Champion and Outbox. The 645,000gns outlay by Ace Stud was completed by Juddmonte duo Aleksandrina (Bated Breath), who is a half-sister to classy runners Viadera and Sacred Bridge, along with Group 1 winner Quadrilateral's daughter by Dubawi, Quadratic. They were sourced for 140,000gns and 130,000gns respectively. “Ace Stud [the rebranded Dullingham Park] is our operation just outside Newmarket – it was purchased back in March and we have two stallions out there in Shaquille and Soldier's Call,” said the operation's Paul Curran. “We're here trying to support the stallions, particularly Shaquille with this purchase. She perfectly suits him and us, as we're looking to get as many quality mares into his next book as we can. He's already got a good level of support from breeders, especially last year.”
• There was room for some comedy during the early part of the sale when lot 347, due into the ring shortly after 10am, missed its slot leading to five minutes of confusion. Where was the Highfort Stables draft and what had happened to cause the delay? Nobody knew. Luckily, auctioneer Alastair Pim saw the funny side of the whole thing and, when Convincing finally made it into the ring, he simply quipped, 'late night?' All is well that ends well and Convincing sold for 10,000gns to Irish trainer Ciaran Murphy. That sale actually kick-started a strong day of trade for the Highfort's John Joe Murphy, with the team behind Group 1 winner White Birch selling four horses for a combined 129,000gns. 
• Highly-rated runners have been selling for a premium at Park Paddocks this week and three-time winner Grand Karat (Gleneagles), a winner over six furlongs at Windsor when last seen, was snapped up by Billy Jackson-Stops to continue his career abroad for 200,000gns. The four-year-old was trained by Harry Charlton, for whom he has shown his best form over six and seven furlongs. Jackson-Stops was appointed bloodstock agent for Victorious Racing earlier this year and Fawzi Nass, the man behind that Bahraini-based ownership group, commented, “He is going to Bahrain for the International Series. There are six or more races over 6f and they will suit him. I am not sure whose colours he will race in next, but he won't run again in Europe before travelling.”
• Gassim Ghazali has rolled up his sleeves this week to lead the buyers' table with five horses sourced for Qatar to the tune of 831,000gns. That spend was headed by the Group 1-placed Green Storm (Circus Maximus), who the trainer landed late in Wednesday's session for 380,000gns. Trained by Charlie Johnston, Green Storm finished runner-up in last year's Criterium de Saint-Cloud and was last seen finishing fifth, beaten just four lengths, in a Group 2 at Royal Ascot. Ghazali said, “He ran in the Derby and was fifth at Royal Ascot in the King Edward VII Stakes. I am very lucky to have been able to buy this horse. He will fit into the programme, travelling to Qatar shortly with a plan to run in the Qatar Derby and then, hopefully, the big races in the region throughout the spring. Buying at the July Sales gives enough time for the horses to acclimatise before the winter season. He could be a horse to run back in Europe – I have done that before and I am keen to do that again.”

• There were a number of newer names on the buyers sheet and Richard Young, who recently purchased Bert House Stud in Ireland, signed for mares from the Juddmonte and Godolphin drafts for a combined 190,000gns respectively this week. Young signed for the daughters of Pinatubo and New Bay under the banner of Rycran.

Buy of the day 

Hopes Are High could be a horse worth waiting for in more ways than one. The good-looking grey was one of the Highfort horses who caused a delay early in the morning before selling to Bill Durkan for 40,000gns. Presumably his new connections will be targeting a juvenile campaign for the 75-rated gelding who looks as though he will take to that job like a duck would to water. Given the market for similar types to go jumping hurdles, Hopes Are High might well have been well-bought. He also has the option of returning to the Flat and, while his pedigree might not suggest it, could be one for staying handicaps on the level. 

Thought for the day

There might be a market for more vendors to target two-year-olds with decent ratings at this sale. Take the Archie Watson-trained Dapper Charm (Dandy Man) and Josh Halley's Zaltan (Lucky Vega), neither of whom are world-beaters, as an example. Dapper Charm sold for 72,000gns while Zaltan, who boasts an identical Timerform rating of 78, made 55,000gns. Thoroughly respectable trade for horses with such profiles. 

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